Apple globally expands 10-minute limit for AirDrop ‘Everyone’ option with iOS 16.2

Apple has seeded the Release Candidate for iOS 16.2 to developers. Among other fixes and improvements, the update also expands a 10-minute limit for AirDrop ‘Everyone’ option, to all iPhone users globally. The time limit was previously restricted to China.

AirDrop ‘Everyone’ option to be restricted to a certain time limit for all users with the release of iOS 16.2

Apple’s AirDrop functionality currently offers three options. However, that is set to change as soon as next week.

Receiving Off: You won’t receive AirDrop requests.
Contacts Only: Only your contacts can see your device.
Everyone: All nearby Apple devices using AirDrop can see your device.

In early November, users in China started reporting that they were unable to receive content from random users via AirDrop after a certain period of time. This was allegedly done to make it difficult for anti-government protesters in China to distribute related content.

A few days later, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that the time limit would ultimately go global sometime in 2023. Since Apple introduced the time limit in China first, it received heavy criticism for enforcing the Chinese government’s demands and suppressing protestors.

Now, Apple has moved up the timeline and the new 10-minute limit for the ‘Everyone’ AirDrop option will be expanded to all users when iOS 16.2 is released.

Now that the Release Candidate for iOS 16.2 has been made available to developers, it won’t be long before Apple releases a stable version of the update for the general public.

Check out other features and tweaks that are expected to be released as a part of iOS 16.2 down below:

AirDrop ‘Everyone’ option to be restricted to a certain time limit for all users with the release of iOS 16.2

Asma Hussain